Seven killed in Brooklyn apartment fire, police say

NEW YORK -- An apartment building caught fire in Brooklyn on Sunday afternoon, killing seven people trapped inside, police said. The victims were believed to be from the same family.

More than 150 firefighters tackled the three-alarm blaze that tore through all three of the building's floors and caused the roof to collapse, police spokeswoman Sgt. Mary Williams said.

The fire started just after 2:30 p.m. in a three-story building near Fort Hamilton Parkway and 70th Street in Bay Ridge, fire department spokesman Joseph Cestari said. When firefighters responded, the fire was already raging out of control.

The blaze started in a second-floor apartment kitchen; a woman who lived there tried to put it out but couldn't, Cestari said.

He said the woman left the apartment, and the flames spread to the rest of that floor and the third floor.

The seven victims were believed to be from the same family, Cestari said. The children ranged in age from 9 months to 13 years, he said.